Frustration rises in Houston after storm leaves millions without power

Houston residents face prolonged power outages following Hurricane Beryl, with millions still in the dark days after the storm hit.

J. David Goodman and Ivan Penn report for The New York Times.

In short:

• Hurricane Beryl caused extensive power outages in Houston, impacting up to 2.7 million customers.
• CenterPoint Energy promised power restoration for one million customers by Wednesday but many still lack power.
• State officials question the utility's preparedness and response, given the storm's intensity was not unexpected.

Key quote:

“For a Category 1 hurricane to result in over a million customer outages in its immediate aftermath demonstrates that there is plenty of need for the resiliency hardening investments.”

— Wei Due, energy expert, PA Consulting

Why this matters:

Houston’s infrastructure struggles to handle increasing severe weather, highlighting the need for investment in more resilient systems. Residents face recurring disruptions, raising concerns over future preparedness and response effectiveness.